From AudioFile
Jerome exploits an innocuous boating excursion by three gentlemen to comment on the halcyon days of Victorian England. He contrasts the shallow, self-centered upper-classes with England's great power and prestige at the apex of her influence. Carmichael, the quintessential English gentleman, captures perfectly the delicious inanity of our intrepid heroes' conversations and the bemusement of the locals they meet along the way. He conveys beautifully Jerome's evocative, almost wistful, descriptions of Thames-side towns whose august historical pasts illustrate the glory that was Britain. This delightful performance crystallizes the author's humor and vision and is sure to enchant its audience. B.M.W. An AUDIOFILE Earphones Award winner (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine


Book Description
Harris, George, and J. are three Victorian idlers: amiable buffoons who love their food, their drink, and their bachelor home comforts. They're none too keen on work either, especially George, who sleeps at a bank in the City from 10 to 4 every day- "except on Saturdays, when they wake him up and put him outside at two." Yet their communal hypochondria has reached such a jittery level that they decide a change of scene would do them good. And why not a trip up the Thames in an open boat? What could be more relaxing than the natural simplicity of the river? As they set out armed with tobacco, whiskey, a frying pan, and a distinct lack of outdoor skills-accompanied by their faithful dog Montmorency (whose idea of heaven is fighting other dogs)-they find their idyll isn't quite all they bargained for. This is humorous story-telling at its very best.


Download Description
A marvel of British comedy, this story of a simple boating trip follows in the tradition of Oscar Wilde. In the late 19th century, three men pack food, clothes, and dog into a small boat built with character and charm (read: disaster in the making), then traverse the English countryside along the Thames, armed with their wits and a certain genteel ruthlessness.


From the Publisher
7 1-hour cassettes

ANNOTATION

Note to Adobe Customers: The Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader version is printable, but there is a known problem printing to printers that do not use the PostScript page description language. This problem occurs with some HP LaserJet, Epson Stylus inkjet, and Epson impact printers. Consult your printer￯﾿ﾽs documentation to find out if it is PostScript compatible. This does not affect your ability to read the book on screen.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Over one hundred years after it was first published, Jerome K. Jerome's classic account of an eccentric journey up the Thames by rowing boat remains as popular as ever. The erratic progress of J., Harris, George and Montmorency the dog is peppered with hilarious and memorable incidents, such as the struggle with the pineapple tin and Harris's run-in with the swans. Jerome's timeless comedy is brought vividly to life in this paperback classic edition through glorious colour illustrations that evoke the long, lazy days of one golden Victorian summer.

SYNOPSIS

Jerome K. Jerome's comic classic Three Men in a Boat (To say nothing of the Dog!) is unsinkable. One of the most widely read and beloved works of British fiction it has never fallen out of print since it first came out in 1889, but rather has been translated into many languages and even turned into a teleplay by Tom Stoppard.

The most ordinary circumstances turn hilarious as J., an idler who exhibits a "general disinclination to work of any kind," and his friends journey up the Thames River. Getting into many scrapes along the way, the friends consider "assaulting a policeman" just to have "a night's lodging in the station-house," when they get lost, but ultimately reject the proposition, fearful that he would hit them back without locking them up. The real scene stealer, though, is Montmorency, a small fox terrier who appears to be "born with about four times as much original sin in [him] as other dogs are."

FROM THE CRITICS

AudioFile - Breda M. White